Adding dimension
to your characters
Are your designs looking a little flat? We show
you how to make your creations leap off the page
with startling dimension…
hen most people hear the words
‘vector art’ the ﬁrst things that
probably come to mind are ﬂat
shapes and solid colours. In the
ever-changing world of digital character
design, your personal style almost always
determines your illustrative technique. While
some styles call for a ﬂat approach, others
will need a little dimensionality to spice up
the composition.
In this tutorial, we show you how to add the
illusion of dimension to your vector illustrations
by combining the effects of Adobe Illustrator’s

W

versatile linear and radial gradients. Along the
way we’ll also demonstrate how subtle (and
believable) accents can be applied to your
illustration to increase lasting visual appeal.
By working within the basic tools of Illustrator,
including Transparency and Pathﬁnder
functions, and combining them with more
complex tasks such as clipping masks, you can
build a dynamic vector illustration that breaks
the stereotype of ‘ﬂatness’.
To complete the following tutorial, you’ll
need access to Adobe Illustrator version CS
or higher.

Expertise provided by California-based illustrator and designer Christopher Lee. His
character series entitled The Urbanites is being transformed into a vinyl toy line due out
this spring. Find out more at www.thebeastisback.com.
You’ll ﬁnd the original sketch of this composition on disc 82 in
the DiscContent\Tutorials\Tutorial Files\Dimension folder.

CAP82.tutposter 77

13/2/06 1:40:38 pm

Tutorial Adding dimension to your characters

78

Part 1: Preparation is everything
First you need to set up a document for your illustration in Illustrator…
Planning your
composition
Strong character designs
should evoke an audience
response even before they’ve
been perfected in a graphics
program such as Illustrator.
When designing characters
that are more ‘graphic’ in
nature as opposed to ones
drawn from a more realistic
approach, it pays to apply
some basic design principles
such as composition, colour
and hierarchy to make your
work that much stronger.

Select File>New and create a document
measuring 480x290mm. This will be the art
board for your illustration. Using the sketch file
provided on the CD (sketch.jpg), place the image in
the document (File>Place).

1

In the Layers palette, lock the layer and change
the layer type to Template in the expanded
options. Rename this layer: Template.

2

Clean up your Swatches palette by trashing all
but your basic linear, radial and standard solid
swatches. This will make colour managing easier
down the line.

3

Part 2: Bringing your character to life
This character’s most distinctive feature is its mask. Here’s how to create it…
Traditional
techniques
Although you may be using a
cutting-edge program to
produce your ﬁnal image, what
will separate your illustration
from the rest when viewed
from a critical eye is how
effectively you employ your
traditional drawing
techniques… yes, we mean
pencil to paper. Light, shadow,
texture, dimension,
perspective and line quality
all play a crucial role in the
impact your digital illustration
will make.

Create a new layer for the mask and call it:
Skull Mask 2. Begin following the contours of
the drawing and create the basic shape of the mask,
eyes, nose and other details. Next you’ll add some
dimension to the skull and its elements.

Select the skull and then select the black-andwhite radial gradient from the Swatches
palette. Replace the black swatch with a 30 per cent
black swatch. Change the Location of the Gradient
Slider to 87 per cent then apply it with the Gradient
tool. Give the skull a 0.5pt stroke.

Copy the skull and paste it behind (Ctrl/
Cmnd+B) the original image. Shift it over to
the right and adjust the bottom points of the teeth
with the Direct Selection tool as above. Fill this
duplicate skull with a linear gradient of white and
60 per cent black. Give this skull a 0.5pt stroke.

Add a linear gradient to the eye socket to
simulate light and shadow. Keep your gradient
directions consistent. Fill your circles with a radial
gradient (pink to white) for the flushed cheeks and
set the blending mode to Multiply. Experiment by
placing additional elements on the skull.

Create a triangle underneath the beak and
apply a Gaussian Blur (Effect>Blur>Gaussian
Blur) with a value of 1.0. Set the object blending
mode to Multiply. Drop shadows add realistic
accents and play a major roll in conveying
dimension in the finished illustration.

Create a shadow underneath the skull using the
technique in the previous step. Follow the
contour of the skull with the Pen tool and fill that
section with 30 per cent black. Add a 1.0 Gaussian
Blur and set the blending mode to Multiply. It should
now look like the skull is resting on top of the face.

1

4

CAP82.tutposter 78

2

5

3

6

13/2/06 1:40:40 pm

Part 3: Clean lines
Keep everything clean and streamlined with clipping paths…
To mesh or not
to mesh?
When used to their full
capability gradient meshes
can produce stunning levels of
realism in Illustrator. However,
alternating between linear and
radial gradients (as shown in
this tutorial) can provide
convincing dimension, without
the complexity. Consistency is
the key: always remind
yourself where your light is
coming from and where
shadows should fall.

Create a new layer under Skull Mask 2 called
Body 2. Begin drawing the body of your
character. When drawing the belly texture, make
sure you draw the shape beyond the contour line of
the body. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

Repeat Step 2 in Part 2 and add a radial
gradient to the main body shape. Don’t forget
to change the Gradient Location to 87 per cent. The
harsh transition between the two colours helps with
the illusion of roundness. Apply it with the Gradient
tool until you achieve an effect similar to the one
shown above.

Continue adding the rest of the elements using
linear gradients. Try to maintain consistency
between light and shadow. Add your drop shadows
at this point as well. Experiment with larger
Gaussian Blur values to vary the softness of the
shadows you’re placing.

Notice how we’ve drawn over the body
contour on these two shapes. This wasn’t a
mistake. We will be masking those shapes with the
same lines of the body to create a single, seamless
shape. With a mask, there will be no issues of
alignment to the edges of the body.

Before we mask, let’s add a radial gradient to
the belly shape. Select the main body, and
copy and paste in front (Ctrl/Cmnd+F) then bring to
front (Ctrl/Cmnd+Shift+]). You should now have a
duplicate body above the rest of the shapes.

With the duplicate body still selected, Shift-click
the belly shape and arm drop shadow to add
them to your current selection. You should now
have three items selected. Create a clipping mask
(Object>Clipping Mask>Make) to achieve a
continuous body line. Select the arm and bring it to
the front or it will appear behind the drop shadow.

Draw a circle to use as a guide for the
candyfloss. Draw another circle at the top of
the circle guide then select Alt/Option and drag the
shape to the bottom to duplicate it. Group the two
smaller circles, copy, and paste in front (Ctrl/
Cmnd+F) then rotate. Repeat the last half of this
step until the entire perimeter of the circle is closed.

Draw another circle in the centre of the one
you’ve just constructed. Select the entire
candyfloss shape (including the new circle) and Alt/
Option-click to ‘Add to shape area’ in the Pathfinder
palette. All your little circles, as well as the large
one, will be combined to create a single shape.
Apply a suitable candyfloss coloured radial gradient.

Now draw a rectangle as a stick for the
candyfloss. You’ll need two rectangles to
complete the illusion… one below the hand and one
directly behind the arm. The hand is shown without a
fill so you can see the set up. Apply a gradient and
adjust where shadows are appropriate.

1

4

7

2

5

8

3

6

9

Tutorial Adding dimension to your characters

CAP82.tutposter 79

79

13/2/06 1:40:52 pm

Tutorial Adding dimension to your characters

80

Part 4: Transparency effects
We show you how to give some chic glasses a realistic touch…

Create a new layer named Glasses. Construct
the basic frame and make sure the area where
you’ll be putting the transparent lenses is hollow.

1

Add a lens shape behind each eye opening. For
a nice Hollywood look, fill those shapes with a
linear gradient (burnt orange descending to pale
yellow) for that trendy faded look.

2

Change the object opacity of each to 55 per
cent. Add some white highlights on the glasses
and change their opacity to 60 per cent. Now create
a drop shadow for the glasses using the same
techniques as used for the skull mask. Change the
blending mode to Multiply on the drop shadow.

3

Part 5: Other characters
It’s time to give our smaller character some attention…
Gaussian Blur
versatility
In this tutorial, we use
Gaussian Blur to simulate a
drop shadow without actually
using Illustrator’s built-in drop
shadow’ effect. Try using
Gaussian Blur with varying
values on other shapes to
create heavenly clouds, a
foggy mist, and wisps. Layering
objects with Gaussian Blurs
combined with varying opacity
values adds a dimensional,
dream-like atmosphere to
your compositions.

Lock and turn off the Glasses layer and create
two new layers: Body 1 and Skull Mask 1. Build
the skull and body using the same techniques as
used on the main character. Don’t add the texture
lines to the hair just yet – concentrate on getting the
skull mask and body drawn and coloured.

Now let’s focus on getting that hair textured.
Select the Line Segment tool and draw a line
that extends above and below the hair shape. Hold
Shift, and Alt/Option-drag the line over to the right
to duplicate the line. Step and repeat (Ctrl/
Cmnd+D) the line until it fills the entire hair shape.

Select all the lines you’ve just drawn and group
them (Ctrl/Cmnd+G). Select the main hair
shape and copy and paste in front (Ctrl/Cmnd+F)
then bring to front (Ctrl/Cmnd+Shift+]). You now
have a duplicate hair shape above the other shapes.

With the hair still selected, Shift-click the
grouped set of lines and then go to
Object>Clipping Mask>Make. You’ve now added
some simple texture lines to the hair.

Using the Direct Selection tool, select the topmost hair shape (the one we used for the
mask) and add a stroke around the edge using the
same colour swatch as the texture lines. This effect
completes the seamless transition.

Repeat Steps 2 to 5 for the smaller portion of
hair on the right side. You should now have a
completed illustration of the smaller character.

1

4

CAP82.tutposter 80

2

5

3

6

13/2/06 1:41:06 pm

Part 6: Finer details
Using small accents can have a big impact on your finished illustration…
Adding typography
When designing a composition
that includes both type and
characters, try to create a
relationship between the two.
If you know how much copy to
expect before you start
designing, all the better. You
can plan for this in your
composition during the sketch
phase. If not, try to get
creative. Tie in your text even
more with your characters by
adding illustration aspects in
or around your copy area. Have
fun with it, but don’t forget
about your visual hierarchy.
Ask yourself: “What do I want
my audience to see ﬁrst?”

Create a new layer and name it Accents. Move
this layer to the top of the rest of your layers.
Begin drawing white highlights that suggest the
shine on a round, glossy object. For now, just
concentrate on placing the highlights.

1

Select all your highlights and change their
opacity to 20 per cent in the Transparency
dialog box. Try mixing up the opacity values until
you achieve a look you’re comfortable with. This
completes the glossy effect.

2

You can also add some interesting shadow
accents by using a linear gradient (white to 30
per cent grey) and changing the blending mode to
Multiply. The white disappears and you’re left with
a smooth gradation from shadow to colour.

3

Part 7: Adding background touches
Set the stage for your characters with some bright elements and contrast…

Lock all your existing layers and create two
new layers: Background and Grass. Locking the
layers prevents you from accidentally adding
elements to the wrong layer. Move the Background
layer above your Template layer and the Grass layer
above your Accents layer.

On the Grass layer create a triangle with the
Polygon tool. Hold Shift, and Alt/Option-drag
the triangle over to the right to duplicate the shape.
Step and repeat the triangle until it fills the entire
width. Select the row of triangles and select ‘Add to
shape area’ in the Pathfinder palette.

Lock the Grass layer and begin drawing the
rest of the background elements included in
the sketch. Feel free to add more (or less) to the
composition as you see fit. Bear in mind we’re going
for simplicity to keep the focus on the two
characters we’ve just drawn.

Fill the Background layer with a radial gradient
in a dark colour. Reposition the gradient effect
behind the rainbow with the Gradient tool. For the
sky, draw a rectangle across the document and fill it
with a linear gradient from grey to white. Set the
blending mode of this shape to Multiply.

Time for some background texture. Draw a tiny
white square and within it an even smaller circle.
Fill it with 50 per cent black. Select both shapes and
drag them into your Swatches palette. You now have
a pattern swatch. Draw a rectangle and fill it with
your pattern. Set to Multiply and reposition it to sit
just above the background gradients.

Create a new layer named Sparkles. Draw some
thin triangles, copy and rotate them, then
combine them in the Pathfinder. Compose a bunch of
smaller and larger sparkles to your liking. Select all
your sparkle elements and go to Effects>Stylise>
Outer Glow. Adjust your glow settings to: Screen, 85
per cent Opacity, and a 1.2mm Blur. ca p